Dark Heart, Dark Side
by Anxiety
Summary: The Clone Wars have just begun, and someone is thinking of switching sides. And he must now live with the decision he has made, even if it means killing those he loves most. [COMPLETE]
1. Chapter I

Betrayal

Battle broke out, disrupting the calm forest night. A saber of orange light, and a Sabre of blue light, clashing against each other in brutal combat. The orange pushing back the blue, the blue parrying each and every attack. He was pushed back farther and farther, out of the forest and up a promontory. To the edge they fought, none showing any sign of relenting their attack, or defense.

"You will go no further, young padawan," the owner of the blue saber said.

"We shall see!" the padawan replied, a sinister grin accompanied his cold tone.

Palius Nazier, the Jedi master, had felt an evil presence in his young padawan for quite some time now. He had shrugged it off, thinking it nothing. Anger was common in kids his age, right? Well now he knew something was wrong. He could sense a disturbance in the Force, something big was about to happen, and he would rather be at the Jedi training facility with the others right now, but his padawan had forced him to battle and had now driven him far, far away from the temple.

"Do you feel that?" Palius asked.

"Feel what, master?" Reven replied.

"A disturbance in the Force, something is amiss," he looked up at the night sky.

"Your thoughts betray you," Reven replied coldly.

"What is that?" he asked looking out into the distance, "Separatist fighters! But, how? How could they know of this place? Even Dooku does not know of this training facility."

"No, but I do!"

"What?"

"You were right to feel the way you do," Reven replied as the ships flew over head, "I gave the Separatists this location."

"But why?"

"I have my reasons, now, to go save your precious temple, you have to go through me!"

Reven raised his activated lightsaber, preventing his master from moving forward.

"How could you, Reven?"

"Very easily," he struck with all his might.

Palius defended, parrying his attacks as well as he could. Reven had become too much for him, he found it hard, too hard, to keep up with his young padawan. Attacking with more force that he ever thought, he could now feel the Dark Side strong within him, yet he could also tell that the Light was still over powering it, to a certain extent. Palius would not give up, even as he saw the temple burn by the Separatist attack.

Reven would not give up his attack, he knew that if he continued he would kill his master, yet he had too, he promised Darth Tyranus that he would.

"Give up, Palius, it is no good, surrender."

"Never!"

Reven brought his blade down with full force, knocking the weapon out of the Jedi's hand. He brought the blade around again and sliced the hand of his former mentor. The smell of scorched skin filled the air, entering the nostrils of both men standing on the promontory.

"Good-bye, Palius."

Reven once again brought his saber around, this time slicing through the neck of the man he used to call master. Using the force Reven through the Jedi's body into the water below. He deactivated his weapon, letting the crashing waves drown out his thoughts.

"Reven, I have been looking all over for you!" a familiar, female, voice behind him said.

"Jaina, remember when we were children? We used to come here every day, we'd laugh, swim and play." 

A smile creased Jaina's features as she remembered those time long ago.

"Remember that day, eight years ago, when we promised to stay together no matter what?"

"Yes I do, Reven," she replied.

"Well then, it is time to test that promise, I am leaving the Jedi order and am joining the Separatists. I don't want to leave you, or kill you, so please, come with me," he turned and Jaina saw tears forming in his eyes.

"Why are you leaving, Reven?" she asked, fighting back the tears, they both knew what was going to have to happen.

"The Senate is corrupt, no, the Republic is corrupt, as well as the Jedi order. They feed us lies and I can't take it any more, so I am leaving."

"I am afraid I can't go with you," she activated her green lightsaber and prepared for the fight.

She charged forward, Reven activated his lightsaber just seconds before her saber was to hit. He blocked all of her attacks, he stopped her saber just inches from his face and, with a little help from the Force, launched her back a few feet. She stood up to her feet, realizing that he is much better than she, and that he will kill her.

_I'm not going down without a fight! _She thought. She noticed Palius' discarded saber on the ground, using the force she, the saber flew through the air, and into her hand. She now thought that she had the upper hand, two sabers against one.

"You know that you can't beat me, even with two lightsabers," Reven said, his voice colder than ever.

"We shall see."

She ran forward, lunging at him with all her might. Much to her dismay he was able to parry all of her attacks and succeeded in driving her back to the edge of the forest. The three lightsabers crashed, drowning out anything else that made even the slightest noise. Reven lunged forward, cutting Palius' hilt, causing Jaina to discard it. The battle raged on for another hour. Their sabers clashed and Reven forced her blade down, nearly touching the grass.

She could not move the weapon, he had her trapped, for good. He came in closer to her, sadness now in his voice.

"If it means anything anymore, I really did love you," he whispered.

"I loved you too," she replied.

One more strike, and the battle was over.

The sun was over the horizon, only one stood on the battlefield of the previous night. A tombstone was erected, he couldn't just leave her body on the forest floor. He was paying his last respects to his one and only love, he would be surprised if he ever came here again, so he needed to do a lifetime of prayer in just a few short hours. Under his cloak he touched the hilts of his two lightsabers, his and Jaina's.

Reven started to wonder if he had made the right decision. Should he have brought about the destruction of the Jedi training facility and all of its occupants? He shrugged the thought off, he had made his choice, and he now had to live with it. He couldn't take back his actions, and he didn't want to die having done what he had done, so he must now live with it and hope that he could meet his end soon so he could be reunited with his love. The roar of the drop ship's engines brought him back to reality. He walked towards his transportation away, away form the place he used to call home, the place he spent nearly his entire life. He had traded it all, and now he would give anything to get it back, anything at all.

A/N: I plan on this being the only chapter I create. Although if there is enough people wanting to see more, I will see if I can come up with something good enough to post. The only way to see more, though, is to review, even if you don't want to see more.... review anyway.


	2. Chapter II

He rustled in blissful sleep. Turning over in a vain attempt to find comfort, even if he was asleep. Turning once again he extended his arm over to where she should be, but only grasping fabric. Shooting his eyes open he sat up. He breathed out a sigh of relief as he saw her figure at the window, staring out into the void of space.

"What are you doing up so early?" he asked wiping the sleep from his eyes.

"Jaina is dead," she said, her voice cold.

"Oh, I am so sorry, how did it happen?" he said getting up and approaching behind her.

"Reven killed her," she was barely able to hold back the tears.

The man put his arms around her as he came up behind her.

"Reven? _The_ Reven?" he asked, as she turned around and embraced him as well.

"Yes, Jaina's best friend killed her, Paul," she started to let the tears run down her cheeks.

"I am sorry, Jade," Paul comforted, "Well, what now? Will there be a funeral?"

"He already buried her, no one else knows about it."

"Then how do you know it?"

"The Force," she replied, letting go of the embrace.

"Oh, that," he replied.

"You do not trust me?" she asked.

"I do not trust that religion you follow so closely, yet you abandoned becoming a Jedi years ago," he responded.

"I may have abandoned becoming a Jedi, but not because I did not believe in the Force!" she yelled, forgetting her sorrow.

"Then why did you?" he asked, sounding a little mad himself.

"I did not believe in the way the council forced me to use it!"

"Sure, whatever," she could tell he didn't believe her, "I'm going back to bed."

"So you are not going with me then?"

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"Where else? To get Reven for this atrocity," she replied, malice was detected in her voice.

"How will you find him?" Paul asked, sitting up in his bed.

"He has descended to the Dark Side of the Force, I will be able to find him."

"Then I will accompany you, my love," he kissed her hand as he said so, "Can you just do me one favor first?"

"Whatever you want," she replied, love replacing the malice that was found in her voice.

"Can we stop by at their training facility?" a hateful look came across Jade's face as he spoke, "I just want to pay my respects!"

"I am sure you do!" she flung his hand off of hers, "We will, and you will see, I am not going to be proven wrong!" 

She stormed out of their bedroom, angry with Paul.

"I am taking off in twenty minutes, whether you are there or not!" she yelled before the door shut.

The lightsaber hummed to life. With the red blade extended he got up and attacked an unseen foe. He deactivated his weapon as he approached a large window in his room. He did not want to reconstruct his two lightsabers, the ones he had meant something very important to him, one coming from his lost love. The love that he was ordered to take. He will always hate Tyranus for that, and one day he will get his revenge.

He sighed as he looked out onto the decrepit warehouse district on Coruscant. He could feel the Jedi in the council all the way across the planet, and it sickened him to be so close yet unable to do anything. He clipped his final lightsaber on his belt, partially concealed by his long, black cape.

Reven felt the figure approach, yet did nothing, for nothing needed to be done to this intruder.

"What do you want, Tyranus?" Reven asked, his voice devoid of emotion.

"I wanted to look on you with my own eyes," a voice not belonging to Dooku responded.

Reven turned around to face a cloaked figure, strong with the Dark Side. He tried to look into the man's eyes, but his cloak prevented anyone from seeing his full face.

"Darth Sidious?" Reven asked.

"The same," he replied.

"Then you can answer my question. Why don't we strike the Jedi, now? They don't know we are here, we can sneak in and infiltrate their council and kill all twelve Jedi on the Jedi Council!"

"In due time, my young apprentice, in due time," he turned and left Reven alone, once again.

_I will always be alone._ He clasped a pendant, a pendant that had been given to him by Jaina, his one and only love.

_I gave the separatists this location!_

The words hit harder than anything he had felt before.

_Give up, Palius, it is no good, surrender._

It hurt even more than the previous words, if that was even possible.

_The Senate is corrupt, no, the Republic is corrupt, as well as the Jedi order._

He was sickened by these words, he wanted to break his concentration, break the meditation and pretend like this never happened, but he couldn't.

Jedi Master T. "Ace" Karrde could finally break off his meditation, the vision being over. What he just witnessed was the hardest thing for him to see. The entire Jedi Temple on Dantooine was destroyed, every Jedi there was murdered by the Separatist Army. All save one was killed, that one person had betrayed the Jedi order and turned to the Dark Side. That one man was Reven Karrde, his brother.

"Something wrong, Ace?" Mace Windu approached him from behind.

"Yes."

"Some evil presence?" he interrogated further.

"The two worst kinds of evil," Ace replied, his face grim.

"Sith," Mace replied, almost sensing it.

"And betrayal," Ace added.

"So, you have heard the news about Dantooine?"

"I wasn't told, I found out through the Force."

Mace patted him on the shoulder.

"I'm sorry."

"What are we going to do about it?" Ace asked.

"We'll take care of it, you won't have to face him in combat."

"No!" Ace yelled, standing up. "I will take care of him! He can be turned, I swear!"

"And if he won't be turned?" Mace's voice was cool as usual.

"Then I will kill him," Ace said, his face conveyed the malice that was in his tone as well.

"I sense your hatred, and you will fall to the Dark Side as well, if you do not control it," Mace stood and faced his former padawan.

"I know, Master Windu," he replied, hiding his malice.

"Good, I will get your ship, the _Trump Karrde,_ ready." Mace said, patting him on the shoulder again.

Ace watched Mace leave the room.

"Why, brother, why must you do this?" he muttered to himself, "I will turn you, even if it is the last thing I ever do. And if you can not be turned, then you will be destroyed."

Paul slung his duffel bag over his shoulder as he beheld the marvel that was his ship. The _Blade Runner_ had been his trusty ship for years, and it looked like it would help him one more time, possibly one last time. He saw Jade at the ramp, waving for him to come along quickly.

Paul smiled and chuckled to himself, "Reven will still be around in five minutes, honey!" he yelled.

"Very funny!" she replied sarcastically, "Hurry up, I will launch this thing in five minutes!"

Paul, knowing that she would do it, ran and hopped onto his ship as the ramp was closing on him. The engines rumbled to life and he had to hurry to a seat and strapped in. he felt the ship launch out of the dock into the black void of space.

Once it calmed down he checked the armory on his ship. He sighed and shook his head.

"Jade, we need to make a quick stop first," Paul said into a commlink.

"Where at?" she replied.

"Just a little warehouse on a desert planet," he replied, making his way to the cockpit.

"What for?" she asked, a little suspicious.

"Just to stock up on some things, I didn't have time to properly prepare," he glared at her.

"Right," she said, allowing him to input the coordinates.

_I will get you Reven, I swear it._


	3. Chapter III

The _Blade Runner_ slowly approached the desert planet; a planet that Jade didn't know existed until now. Jade had assumed that their stop would be Tatooine, it being the only desert planet she knew of.

"What is this planet called again?" she asked, looking over to Paul.

"Eirakin," he replied, not lifting his face from the control console.

"I see," she reclined in the copilot's seat, hands behind her head, "I've never heard of it."

"There aren't many who have," he replied.

"Why is that?"

"They refuse to be a part of the Republic, and only smugglers, mercenaries and the like live and stop by there."

"Oh," she said, seeming uninterested, much like he did.

Paul kept control of the ship as Jade took a temporary rest. She rested her feet on the control panel and was just about to get some much-needed sleep.

"Prepare for planet landing," Paul ordered.

Jade sighed, "Yes, sir."

The ship rocked back and forth as they entered the atmosphere. They broke through the atmosphere and transferred into a nice, smooth ride. The planet seemed very much like Tatooine to Jade. Desert stretched out as far as the eye could see. The main difference she could see between the two worlds was that there wasn't a single moisture farm, or any other civilization for that matter, around.

Before long Jade noticed something appearing in the horizon. Soon enough it got bigger and bigger until she realized what it was. A giant city, even bigger than Mos Eisley, was where they were heading.

"Another reason many people haven't heard of this place is that this is the only city on the entire planet."

"Wow," Jade was amazed to the point where she was leaning forward.

"_Blade Runner _requesting permission to land," Paul announced into the commlink.

"Welcome to Eirakin, Paul Serkanin, you are clear to land and docking bay 94," a female voice replied.

"Here we go," he muttered turning the ship towards the docking bays.

They came up on a dome, which Jade assumed was the docking bay. The dome slowly opened up and Paul brought _Blade Runner_ down into a landing position. He extended the landing gears and performed a perfect landing.

"What are we here for anyway?" Jade finally asked.

Paul just stared at her with a look of both anger and surprise.

"Due to the rushed take of from the colony, we didn't have time to prep the ship," he stood and headed towards the exit, "So, we have nothing, no food, no weapons, nothing."

"We don't have any weapons?" she asked.

"Only what we took with us," by now they had exited the ship and were just leaving the docking bay.

Jade frowned, all she had was her lightsaber and a blaster, and taking a quick glance at Paul he just seemed to have a single blaster. Hopefully that would suffice until he got the weapons he was talking about.

Within a few minutes Jade was already lost. Paul was walking too fast for her and all the people treading along the hot sand road slowed her down. She also had an uneasy feeling, a disturbance in the Force. One that caused her to keep looking behind her, which didn't help her speed issue.

She shrugged off the feeling to reach out and find Paul. She found him, or rather felt his presence, in a nearby cantina. The cantina was bursting with music, live musicians played an assortment of music from all corners of the galaxy. She looked around and found whom she was looking for, at the bar, ordering a drink. She chuckled a bit, enjoying a drink when he should be conducting business; it was just like him. She made her way towards Paul, to set him back to his task.

She was elbowed out of the way by a Twi'lek male, also making his way towards the bar. _How rude! _She thought, walking right behind him. She noticed him grab a hold of his pistol holsters at his side. He brought it up with the full intention of firing. Jade knew that it might not have been aimed at Paul, but she couldn't let him kill anyone. Her lightsaber hummed to life and, in one swift slash, his head flew to the ground a few feet away from his body, which fell shortly after.

The cantina went quiet and everyone's eyes were on Jade. She deactivated her saber and returned it to her belt, yet the stares did not stop. Paul rushed to her, grabbed her arm and dragged her out into an alley.

"What do you think you are doing?" he asked, pressing her up against the side of a building.

"I couldn't just let him kill someone!" she replied.

"Why not?" he asked.

"I don't know, I just couldn't!"

"But why did you have to use your lightsaber?"

"Instinct, I guess."

"Then I suggest you change your instincts!" he voice was still stern.

"Why?"

"These people here don't like Jedi! They are criminals, smugglers, bounty hunters, and anything else that could get the Jedi really ticked off! They work for the highest bidder!"

"I understand," she replied.

"Good! Now I have to go conduct business, alone. I'll meet you back at the cantina in two hours," he said.

"Right," she sighed.

_Now what am I going to do for the next two hours?_

A laser shot flew through the air, only to be cut from its target. More shots flew form the hovering remote, only to cut off from their destination as well. This process continued for over half an hour. He slowly approached the flying sphere and destroyed it in one slash. He deactivated his lightsaber and fell to his hands and knees, panting, his sweat dripping down his bare torso and off his face.

"Did I say you could stop, Reven?" Sidious asked his pupil from atop his command chair.

"No, master," he panted out his reply.

"Then why did you stop?"

"I… I felt a disturbance… in the Force," he panted.

"You did, where?" he asked.

"A planet called Eirakin, Jade, my friend Jaina's sister, is there. She became a Jedi, but left the order to join her husband, Paul Serkanin, a former bounty hunter." He replied.

"Ah, yes. No need to worry, my apprentice, I have dispatched someone to take care of her."

"Darth Tyranus?" he asked the spite eminent in his voice.

"No."

"Then I must accompany him," Reven stood to his feet, gaining a second wind, "He will be useless against a Jedi, even one that has left the order!"

"He can handle her, he is a Dark Jedi after all."

"Who is it, then? There can be only two Sith!"

"Then explain yourself, and Asajj Ventress."

"We are not Sith, yet."

"And neither is he. He is nearly a clone of a Jedi that was killed years ago. Now, to further advance your training," he pressed a button on his chair.

A door opened to Reven's side. The room was so dark that he couldn't see where the door led to, but he could see the blades of the lightsabers as they activated and prepared to face his new opponent. __

__

"I have a surprise for you," she told Paul, giddy as a little schoolgirl.

"Oh really, what is it?" he asked, forgetting the anger he had just two hours ago.

"It's a secret. You'll see it when we get back to the _Blade Runner_," she told him.

"Alright," he replied.

"So, what about those supplies you were supposed to get?" she asked.

"They're being delivered, they should arrive in fifteen minutes."

They made their way through the docking bay and came to the clearing with the _Blade Runner._ They came to an abrupt stop; a dark, mysterious figure was awaiting them.

"A friend of yours?" Jade whispered.

"No," he whispered back, hand coming to a rest on his blaster.

"Don't," she extended her arm across his chest, "I think we should go on my instinct on this one."

She drew her green lightsaber as the cloaked figured removed his cloak and drew his red saber.

"See? My instinct does help. Now hide, I will take care of him."

"Right," he said reluctantly running back the way they had come.

He made the first move, charging towards Jade. She blocked his strike and took one of her own. It was parried, but she still kept on the offensive, driving him back. She drove him back to the point where he was nearly against the hull of the ship. He parried her attack and retaliated with a swing aimed at her neck. Ducking under attack she hit his shoulder, the smell of scorched skin filled the air.

With that Jade jumped into the air, flipped around and landed on the _Blade Runner, _with enough room left for the Dark Jedi to join her. She lifted her saber up, blade hung horizontal over her head. They stared at each other for what seemed like several minutes to Jade, when in reality it was no more than two minutes. Jade launched an offensive that dragged them across the entire length of the _Blade Runner. _They reached the end, he was at the edge and Jade took full advantage of this. Using the Force, she pushed him off the ship, landing on his back.

She jumped after him and, with all her rage, attacked. He parried all her attacks, while still on his back, but she kept going at it. She knocked his saber out of the way, brought hers back around and sliced off her foes hand. Jade held her lightsaber up against his neck.

"Now, who are you?" she asked through gritted teeth.

"I'll never talk, just kill me!" he replied.

"Alright," she smiled.

She took a step forward, swinging her blade and decapitating him.

"That should take care of that," she muttered, deactivating her lightsaber.

  



	4. Chapter IV

He pressed his attack further, trying not to let her go on the offensive. He was not going to lose, not to her, to an apprentice of Tyranus. He drew his second lightsaber, a sign that he was about to try to finish her off. Reven knew how he was going to finish her off. Asajj Ventress was not going to survive this battle, and soon Tyranus would follow her.

The battle ensued for several more minutes. Soon enough the opening he needed came. He cut one of her hilts in half; he spun around, knocking her other saber out of the way. Reven saw it now, his victory. His saber came down closer and closer to her neck. He smiled now, as his victory came so close he could taste it.

"That is enough, Reven," Sidious called out to him.

Reven stopped abruptly, just above her neck. He sighed and deactivated his lightsabers.

"Yes, master," he said through clenched teeth.

"Asajj, leave us," he told her, and she complied.

"Is something wrong, master?"

"No, Reven, in fact I am proud of you. You handled yourself well."

"Thank you, master," he bowed, surprised at the praise from his master.

"Now, I need to take my leave, the Galactic Senate is convening in a few hours, and I am needed," he said as he stood and exited the room, leaving Reven all alone.

"How dare you spill your lies unto the senate!" the Rodian senator yelled.

"I am telling you that I am not lying," Supreme Chancellor Palpatine answered.

"Ha, the Clone Wars should have ended long ago! It was your avarice that has kept it going, and your surfeit will become your demise once the war is over!"

"I can assure you that the war will be over as soon as possible. What has kept this wars going is that the Separatists are gaining ground quickly as more and more systems come under their control, whether it be by choice or by force," Palpatine was as calm as he always was.

"I do not believe that you have the best intentions of the Republic in mind!" he pointed an accusing finger at the supreme chancellor, "I move for a vote of no—"

The Rodian moved both his hands to his neck. His fellow representatives stared at him, the look of confusion on their faces.

"Is there something wrong, senator?" Palpatine asked, his voice not changing from its usual coolness.

The Rodian representative started to sound like he was choking; he stumbled around his platform until he fell off the edge.

"Senator!" Palpatine yelled, but it was too late, the Rodian was as good as dead.

_Hahaha! Good job with that one, Master! _Reven thought to himself from his location on the other side of Coruscant, watching the meeting from live feedback through his Master's eyes.

"In light of recent development, I order that the senate takes a temporary recess and reconvene in three hours."

"There is no emotion; there is peace. There is no ignorance; there is knowledge. There is no passion; there is serenity. There is no death; there is the Force." Jade reviewed the core of the Jedi code.

_No emotion, yet I feel hate, a path to the Dark Side. Peace, but there is war in the universe and within myself. No ignorance, but the Sith have no clue what they are doing. There is knowledge, but I know nothing, I am lost. No passion but what about that which I feel for Paul? How could there be serenity with this war? There is no death, but what about those lives being lost as we speak due to the Clone Wars? _

Jade's mind flooded with unanswered questions, the Jedi code never seemed to wrong before, so distant from reality. She couldn't stand it. She hated the Jedi Order more than anything now.

"If only the Jedi would fall," she found herself saying.

_What are you thinking? That is not like you at all, Jade._ She shrugged off the feeling, trying not to think about such hateful things. Such thoughts could lead to the Dark Side.

"I will not turn, I must be strong," she whispered to herself.

She remained in silent meditation, blocking out all distractions.

"Jade?" Paul asked, opening the door.

She jerked out of her meditation, "Yes?"

"The supplies have all been loaded, we are ready to launch."

"I want to show you that thing I got first," she said with a smile.

"Alright," he replied.

She led him to the small armory, which was now full thanks tot he efforts of Paul. She brought him to two large cases sitting in the corner of the room. She hit the release codes and they slid open.

"By the Force," Paul muttered under his breath.

"Like them?" she asked.

"Of course I do, now how did you find two Zaref battle armors on this place?" Paul asked in amazement.

"I have my ways," she said with a certain girlish charm, "Now, let's get going."

"Right," he said, having to be pulled away from the armors to the cockpit.

Ace piloted through the clone fleet. He looked on in marvel at the Star Destroyers lined up for what would hopefully be the final assault on the Separatists. Although he was skeptic on whether or not it would work, it was a good enough plan, he only wished he could be a part of it. The plan was to send a massive fleet to the planet Byss, a place of extreme conflict and loses, for both sides. The fleet would launch ground troops to overtake the Separatists ground forces while the fleet would push back their fleet, hopefully eradicating it totally.

He was flying his trademark ship, the _Trump Karrde,_ an old Corellian Action V freighter, on a mission to search and destroy his brother, Reven Karrde. The _Trump Karrde_ was no ordinary freighter, though. He had it specially modified to suite his needs. It is now equipped with several turbolasers, an extra thick hull, more shielding and a hyperdrive system that makes it almost as fast as a Republic ship. Ace reached out with the Force, trying his hardest to find his brother's location or at least a hint at where he could be. Punching in the coordinates, he entered lightspeed.

Reven walked out onto the docking bay; Dooku was pacing back and forth in front of a Geonosian solar sailor.

"You are late," he announced once he noticed Reven.

"Better late than never," Reven replied, walking right past Dooku and up the ships boarding ramp.

"Watch your tongue, boy."

"Or what?" Reven snapped.

"Or you may find yourself never coming home," he said in a threatening voice.

"We shall see," Reven took the copilots seat.

"Don't start to think that just because you are learning from Sidious that it gives you special immunity."

"You wouldn't dare hurt me, the price you would have to pay would be too high, and you know it."

Dooku answered with silence. Before long they had arrived at Byss, the next major battleground of the Clone Wars. Reven had felt uneasy the entire flight, in fact he had felt uneasy for several days now. He has been having strange dreams, dreams where Jaina visited him and dreams where he had been killed. He couldn't decipher if these dreams were omens, or if they were just nightmares.

Reven was shaken out of his reveries when they approached their base on Byss.

"Our master will brief us in twenty minutes." Dooku announced, leaving the ship.

"Right," Reven followed.

Reven tapped the table with his fingers impatiently. He was getting bored, the briefing was supposed to start ten minutes ago, but for some reason Sidious was late. _Humph, briefing in twenty minutes my a—_

"Greetings," the appearance of his master threw Reven from his thoughts.

"Greetings," everyone in the chamber replied simultaneously.

The blue hologram of Darth Sidious took a seat.

"I have called you all here to be the defining defense of the Separatists movement. If we lose Byss, our cause will be greatly damaged. The Republic has already sent reinforcements to Byss, with the intention of defeating our forces here, little do they know that we are ready, and will be the victor in this battle. They have sent only four Jedi to this battleground. Four Jedi have been sent to Byss. Eeth Koth and Plo Koon, you two can decide who gets to fight them. But Dooku I want you to take on Obi-wan Kenobi, Reven you take his apprentice—"

"Anakin Skywalker?" Reven asked in surprise.

"So you know him?" Sidious asked.

"Obi-wan and Palius where good friends, I met them both back on Dantooine," he explained.

"Will there be a problem then?" he asked.

"No, sir, I can kill him," Reven replied.

"Good. Now for the battle plan."

Sidious ran through the plan and dismissed everyone, except Reven.

"You wanted to see me master?" Reven asked.

"Yes, Reven. I have received word that your brother is searching for you," Sidious told him.

"Is he? It's the first I've heard of it."

"Yes, he is. If he finds you, you know what you must do."

"He will join us, or die, master."

"No, kill him, there is no need for more of us."

"Right, sir. Is there anything else?"

"No."

Reven stirred in his sleep. Once again he was suffering from a nightmare, the same nightmare that has haunted him ever since he betrayed the Jedi order. In the dream, Dooku attacked him. Dooku's attacks were too much for him, and he was killed.

He opened his eyes, half expecting to see Palius, Jaina and all the other Jedi that he had caused the death of back on Dantooine. Instead all he saw was his sleeping quarters. He stood up, walking towards the window. He saw lights falling from the night sky to the ground below, the invasion had begun.

"I have a bad feeling about all this," he muttered to himself.

"Jedi have the ability to see into the future, you know," a mysterious voice said behind him.

Reven turned around to see whom the voice belonged to. Behind him stood the owner of the voice, the spirit of his lost love, Jaina. He tried to speak, but coarse croak was all that could escape his lips.

"Yes, Reven, it's me," the apparition spoke.

"But, how?" he asked.

"When you killed me, I became one with the Force. And I can appear to you, to help guide you, for a short time at least."

"But, why would you help me?"

"Because I love you, Reven."

"But I killed you. Why would someone want to help someone who killed them, and who turned to the Dark Side?"

"I was hoping to try to turn you back to the Light Side."

"No, once you travel down the Dark Side, forever will it dominate your destiny," he replied, "Nothing can change what I have become."

"No, you are wrong, Reven. You and only you can change what you have become. I can only try to help you."

"Thank you, Jaina. Now, what do you think I should do?"

"I can't tell you what to do." 

"Then what can you do?" he was starting to get irritated, it was eminent in his voice.

"I can only try to guide you."

He turned walked closer to her, "Guide me? Guide me?" he raised his voice "Then GUIDE ME!"

"General Kenobi, please prepare for planetary landing," a clone trooper told him.

"Right, thank you," Obi-wan replied and waved the trooper off, "Are you ready, Anakin?"

"Yes, master," he replied.

"Now, Anakin, this is a very important mission, I need you to be in top condition for this battle. If we lose this one, the Republic could fall."

"Yes, master."

Anakin followed his master to the dropship that would take them to the planets surface.


	5. Chapter V

Reven looked out in amazement at the MTTs stretching across the horizon. There were enough MTTs to take 1120 battle droids, super battle droids, and destroyer droids into battle and even more were held back in defense of the Separatists base. AATs, dwarf spider droids, hailfire droids and homing spider droids also raced alongside the MTTs toward the next battlefield of the Clone Wars.

"This will be an impressive battle indeed," Reven muttered to himself.

"I would hope so," Jaina said from behind him.

"So, you're back," he said in a scornful tone.

"I am."

"What do you want?" scorn still evident in his voice.

"To warn you."

"Warn me? Just like you were going to guide me?" he asked.

"Today, in the field of battle, you will be faced with a choice, a choice between life and death. What you choose will decide whether or not you will ever be able to return from the Dark Side."

"Yeah, I'll keep that in mind," he stood, past her and out to prepare for the battle ahead.

"Reven, whom where you talking to just then?" Dooku asked as Reven stepped out.

"It was no one."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Dooku, I am."

The massive droid army appeared on the horizon. The Republic attack gunships started to hug the ground as their clone troopers jumped out, the battle had begun. Several clone troopers would not see the action of this battle, their gunships being destroyed from afar by the tanks and bigger battle droids.

"Ready Master?" Anakin asked as their gunship drew closer to the ground.

"Yes I am," Obi-Wan said as he jumped out into the battlefield, Anakin followed.

They activated their lightsabers and led the clone troopers into battle. Gunships flew overhead, taking out the droids from the sky, and eliminating some of the tanks.

Reven sped out ahead of Dooku, his cape flailing behind him. His swoop bike picked up speed for Reven was anxious to get into battle.

"There it is," he muttered to himself once he saw the battlefield.

He removed his right hand from the handle bar and grabbed his lightsaber. He sped through the droid battle line and broke into the clone trooper front line. With his lightsaber activated, he attacked his enemy with all his might. In the distance he spotted his target, a Jedi. Plo Koon raised his saber at the sight of the Dark Jedi. As Reven approached, he slashed. Their sabers clashed as Reven sped by. Jumping off the swoop, he turned to face his new opponent.

Reven lunged forward, Plo Koon blocked his attack, but Reven continued his offensive. With him parrying every one of his Reven's attacks, Plo Koon was a formidable opponent. Reven pressed his attack on further and faster; Plo Koon was barely able to keep up. Reven knocked his saber out of the way and sliced his leg, arm and cheSt. He fell to the ground.

"You're good, but I'm better!" Reven raised his saber, "Now, prepare to become one with the Force!"

He brought his saber over his head with the full intention of bringing it down on Koon's head. He tried to deal the final blow, but couldn't. He always stopped himself, Jaina's words echoing in his mind.

"Why," he muttered between gritted teeth, "Why can't I kill you?"

He mustered up his anger and courage and with the power of the Dark Side he brought his weapon down onto Koon. His blade clashed against that of another, he traced the saber back to the source.

"Skywalker!"

"Karrde!"

Anakin knocked Reven back, away from the Jedi Master.

"Always have to be the hero, don't you, Anakin?"

He didn't respond; he just entered a battle stance.

"You should join me, Anakin," Reven offered.

"I will never join!"

"You don't know the power of the Dark Side."

"I don't need to know it to know that I don't want it."

"If you shall not be turned, that you will be destroyed."

Reven ran forward, attacking with all his speed and might. Anakin parried his attacks, and went on the offensive. Anakin lunged forward, Reven blocking the attacks, but Anakin succeeded in driving him back. Anakin brought his saber down on Reven's head, blocking it with one hand; his other grabbed his second saber. He activated the sword and slashed out at his adversary, causing him to jump back.

"Anakin!" Plo Koon yelled, throwing him his lightsaber.

He activate the saber and renewed his attack. Their battle continued for several more minutes. No winner was in sight, but in reality the Separatists were losing the battle.

"Don't tell me you never wanted the power, Anakin!"

"Never!"

"Never? Not even when your mother was killed?"

That statement sent the battle into a stare down. The rage was swelling in Anakin, and Reven knew it. In fact, he wanted it. He wanted Anakin to get angry and with that hatred he would tread ever closer to the Dark Side. They stepped closer to each other with the full intent of continuing their battle. Just before they could attack, a siren rang through the air, stopping both of them in their tracks.

"What?! Retreat? Now?" Reven said to no one in particular.

_Retreat, Reven! _He heard Dooku's voice in his head.

"We'll have to finish this later, Skywalker."

He deactivated his lightsabers and returned them to his belt. He brought out a flattened cylinder, punched in a few commands and in a short time his swoop bike raced back to him. Anakin, unwilling to end the battle without a victor, ran toward him. Reven shook his head, extended his arm and unleashed a volley of lightning that strike Anakin and stopped him in his tracks long enough for Reven to escape.

Reven raced from the battle, having spared both Plo Koon's and Anakin's life, Sidious will not be happy. Disposing of as many clones as possible, he retreated back from hence he came. He saw a strange figure ahead of him, a Jedi.

"Eeth Koth," he whispered to himself, "Maybe this battle won't be a complete loss after all."

Koth turned as Reven drew closer, slicing off part of his bike. Reven jumped off seconds before the strike hit. Reven drew his saber and the attack began. Reven chopped off his hand, brought his saber around in a semi circle and took his leg as well. He held his saber up to Koth's face. _A choice between life and death. _Jaina's words echoed in his mind and he brought his blade down in anger on the Jedi Master. _What you choose will decide whether or not you will ever be able to return from the Dark Side. _He heard the words once again as he stood over his prey. His victory was short lived, he jumped onto an AAT and rode it back to the base.

"What is the status on the four Jedi sent to lead the clones into battle?" Darth Sidious asked.

"Plo Koon won't see another battle on Byss, he probably isn't even on the planet anymore," Reven said, sitting on the edge of the window, looking out over the vast droid army.

"What about the other three?"

"Eeth Koth won't see the light of day again, I made sure of that," Reven replied, "The call for retreat came before I could defeat Skywalker."

"What about Kenobi?" the question was now directed to Dooku.

"I could not bring him down, Master."

"It is imperative that you do not give up this base, you cannot surrender until the droid battleship has been destroyed or the droid army is totally eradicated. "

"Yes, Master," Dooku said as the image of Sidious disappeared.

"Are the clone armies here yet?" Dooku asked, walking toward Reven.

"No, I'd say we have at least another two hours for the clones to regroup, rearm and travel here." Reven didn't turn his gaze away from the future battleground.

"Enjoy the calm while you can."

"I always do," he muttered as Dooku left.

"Greetings Reven."

"So, you're back," he spoke to Jaina without looking at her.

"Yes, I'm back."

"What do you want this time?"

"Do you not like my company?"

"No."

"So the hate has consumed you, then I must bid you farewell," she turned and walked away as she slowly disappeared.

"Goodbye and good riddance," Reven dropped the pendant she had given him.

The sound of the metal clanging on the ground caused her to falter slightly before she disappeared forever. Once again Reven was all alone.

_I will always be alone. _

The bridge shook violently as it was hit once again. The battle was going grim. The clone army was pressing their forces deeper through the front line and already they have lost several battleships. They, on the other hand, have only managed to down one of the Republics assault ships. The clone pilots were too good for their droid controlled fighters.

"Sir, another battleship has been severally damaged and is pulling out of the system."

"Press the attack further," the admiral said calmly.

"Sir?"

"It is impossible for us to win this battle now," another battleship flickered out of existence, "but it is possible to take several of them down with us."

He watched out as a large volley of laser shots rammed into an assault ship, destroying it.

"Sir, reenforcements have just left hyperspace!"

"I see that, captain," the admiral responded, "Due to resent development pull back two squadrons to defend the damaged ships." he said as two more assault ships were wiped out of existence.

"Yes, sir."

With the tides slightly turned the battle recommenced, the Separatists not willing to give up Byss, and the Republic not willing to back down.

Reven watched the battle unfold from his window seat. This time the clone army had a harder time breaking through the droid front line, with only one exception: a Jedi. Someone carrying a blue lightsaber was breaking through the line with incredible speed. The other Jedi, also carrying a blue saber, was lagging behind. He was, without a doubt, more worried about winning the battle than reaching the Separatist base.

_I guess I will see you soon, Skywalker. _Reven thought, getting up from his watching place.

Anakin raced through the droid army, eliminating everything in his way. He could see the target in front of him; the tall, looming base of the Separatists and, within those walls, Reven Karrde. He finished off the final droid and thrust his saber into the door, melting it away. He stopped when he had formed a hole big enough for him to walk through. As he walked through he was greeted by only two super battle droids.

He reached out with the Force, knocking them both to the ground with an unyielding wind. He jumped up into the air, bringing his saber down, stabbing one foe, then the other.

_Good job, Skywalker. _

_Karrde?_

_Follow that hallway down and make a left as soon as you can, there you will face me._

Anakin did as he was told and came upon an elevator. He stepped on it and it immediately took him up. It stopped in a room barely lit with a few lights. One figure was all he could see, the figure of Reven. He stepped off the platform and it returned to the first floor. But it didn't matter to Anakin, all that did matter was that he was now able to face Reven once again. Reven activated his lightsaber, turned around and lifted it so the blade was horizontal across his face.

"The time has come, Skywalker. Nothing will stop me from completing what I came here to do. One of us will not leave this arena, alive anyway."

Anakin chuckled a bit as he activated his own lightsaber.


	6. Chapter VI

Anakin slowly climbed the stairs to come face to face with his opponent. He raised his saber into a fighting stance as Reven did the same. Anakin lunged forward in attack and Reven parried it. He lunged forward with more speed than before, but Reven parried that too. This time Reven lunged forward, Anakin blocked and Reven moved, Anakin followed.

__

Idiot. Reven thought. He twisted around and placed a kick to Anakin's chest, sending him down the stairs. Reven jumped down after him. Anakin rolled over just as Reven's lightsaber hit the ground where he was lying just seconds before. Anakin stood up and renewed his attack. The battle raged on for several minutes with no clear sign of a victor.

Reven ducked under one of Anakin's strikes, swinging his foot around causing him to trip. Reven knocked Anakin's saber away and held the tip of his up against his face.

"Now, Skywalker, you will die."

He raised the saber into the air, with the full intention of killing his opponent. A smile crept across his face. He began to lower his weapon, picking up speed and courage during the downward sweep. An image passed across his sight, an image from back on Dantooine, an image of his one and only love, Jaina. He changed the trajectory of his attack, hitting the floor next to Anakin instead. He blinked several times as he regained his composure and realized that he had only imagined Jaina.

He raised his lightsaber one more time. Anakin once again was changed, Jaina once again appeared and he once again purposefully missed his target. He backed away from his target, not believing what his eyes were telling him. Reven turned away from prey and deactivated his lightsaber. Anakin stood up, using the Force to bring his weapon to him.

"I will not fight you, Anakin," he said, looking over his shoulder.

"Why not?"

"We are not that different, you and I," he replied.

"Never compare me to you! I want nothing to do with you! We are totally different!"

"Actually we are quite alike."

"I will never believe it."

"You lost you mother about a year ago, and I lost my one and only love. On second thought," he stared up at the ceiling, seeming to zone out into nothingness, "you will never know the pain I went through."

"What?" Anakin asked, anger and disbelief in his voice.

"You don't know what it is like, you were taken from your mother when you were only nine, I never knew my parents. I, like many others, was taken from my parents before I could have any memories of my parents or my homeworld. I never had any parents, I grew up on my own the only comfort I had was that found in the others just like me. The closest thing I had to a family were the Jedi that came to visit us on occasion, but we barely saw the same person twice, and you could tell that they didn't want to be there. I grew up alone with only Jaina to keep me company. Then I learned of the corruption, and decided to switch sides, giving in to the anger I had felt within for so many years. In the process I had to kill two people, the only two people I ever cared about. Master Palius and Jaina, they never did anything wrong, but they died anyway."

Anakin noticed a tear slide down his face at the mention of Jaina and his master. He knew as well what it was like to grow up without a father, only having his mother and eventually Obi-wan to guide him, to teach him and to love him.

"I took their lives," he looked at his hands, "with my own two hands I killed them. I had regretted everything. I wanted to take it all back, but I couldn't," his voice conveyed true sadness, "I had to live with what I had done, I thought that after what I did I would always be alone. But then Jaina visited me, and I threw her away, my HATE threw her away. Anakin, please, don't give in to your anger, the Dark Side is not where you belong. Don't make the same mistake I made."

Anakin pondered that as he watched Reven walk away.

"I have had enough fighting for today, kill me if you must, I will not stop you."

"So that's it? You're just going to run away from your problems just like that?" Anakin screamed after him.

"Only if you let me, Anakin, only if you let me."

Anakin felt the rage swelling in him. He wanted nothing more than to kill Reven right here and now. His thumb hovered over the switch to activate his lightsaber, but removed it, remembering the words of Reven.

"I have a feeling this isn't over yet, Karrde!" he yelled after him.

"Well I do," Reven muttered.

Five more blue triangles disappeared off the screen, another three ships lost. The admiral tapped his fingers against each other in contemplation.

"Sir, four of our dreadnoughts are destroyed, three others are severely damaged and seventy percent of our fighter complement is destroyed."

"Press our defenses further into the battle, and attack those assault ships at point blank range," the admiral said calmly.

"Sir?"

"This battle is lost, we might as well take out as many of them as we can."

"Right, sir," the man sighed, knowing very well what all their fates were.

Quietly twelve soldiers sneaked up to the bridge of the control ship, blasters drawn and ready.

"Remember, men, he will destroy us all, we will have to kill him. The admiral can not leave this battle alive!"

The others raised their blasters and cheered silently in agreement. The leader opened the door to the bridge and ran in. They surrounded the admiral.

"Dazier, you disappoint me. I never thought you would be a mutineer," the admiral said, never changing his facial expression.

"Quiet! I don't want to hear it!" Dazier turned his head, "You! Take us to the rendezvous point, now!"

"Belay that order," the admiral ordered.

"Never! Get us out of here!"

The admiral chuckled a little.

"What?" Dazier asked.

"You obviously didn't do any research."

"What do you mean?"

"You should always know your enemy, Dazier," the admiral pointed a finger at his would be dispatchers, "If not then you can find yourself floating home, or dead, one or the other."

Eleven of the soldiers suddenly fell to the ground, their blood spilling across the floor.

"Stop," the admiral said.

Dazier felt a cold steel press up against his neck, and felt his blood slowly drip out and an arm restraining him from taking any action to defend himself.

"If you had known your enemy, Dazier, you would have known about my bodyguards, and this might have been averted. Instead your pitiful attempt to overthrow me has failed. Finish him."

His bodyguard slit Dazier's throat and returned to the shadows before the body hit the ground.

"Keep our current position."

"Yes, sir."

Reven walked down the corridor towards the hangar bay. Dooku had already ordered all nondroid personnel to retreat, but at the time Reven was preoccupied with Anakin. Yet even now he wasn't making any haste to get to his ship.

"Hello, Reven," someone said behind him.

"Jaina?" he asked, turning around.

"Yes, Reven."

"I thought I was never going to see you again," he replied.

"Well, I heard what you said about me, how your voice sounded, your facial expressions, I even saw your tears," she smiled as she realized that the hate hadn't consumed him like she had thought.

"You have?" he asked and smiled, "So you know?"

"Know what? That the hate has not consumed you? That you do still love me?"

"Yes, it's all true," she picked up a sense of kindness in his voice.

"There is still a chance, then," she replied.

"A chance for what?" he asked skeptic of what she meant.

"A chance for you to turn back to the light side," she sounded anxious, like she couldn't wait for it to happen.

"I don't think that is possible any more," he sighed, "I don't think I can back down now."

"Why not?" she was sad, he could tell.

"The Dark Side is too strong in me, but I will try," he sounded serious, his eyes lined with tears.

"My sister, Jade," she walked up to him and tried to place her hand on his cheek, "she will be near the planet Sluktara IV fort the next three weeks, meet up with her, see if she will help you. Your brother, Ace, he could help you too, if you would only let him," she was concerned, he could tell, she would try anything to only get him on the 'right' path again, and for that he was eternally grateful.

"Thank you, I will try."

He moved his arms around her, and hers wrapped around him. They both new they couldn't meet in a true embrace, but this was good enough for them. They longed to be with each other, to be truly held in each others arms, but that impossible.

"Goodbye, Reven, goodbye," with that she disappeared into nothingness, leaving Reven alone once again.

Although she was gone he remained for several moments, wishing for the impossible, daydreaming about days long past, days which he had wished would never end. But they did end, in their place was a new reality. Those days, he now realized, where merely the calm before the storm. In place of those beautiful dreams was a horrible nightmare. A nightmare that encompasses everything, a nightmare that will not go away. Only he now realizes that it is not a nightmare. No, a nightmare will eventually go away, this was reality.

He wiped the tears from his eyes and continued down the corridor. He reached the hangar with just enough time to see Dooku's solar sailor fly off into the depths of space. Reven climbed into his Geonosian fanblade starfighter. He activated the systems and flew out, following Dooku's trail. He looked over his shoulder at the battle that had already stopped.

"The droid control ship must've been destroyed," he muttered to himself.

He looked up to the sky; he could no longer see the battle like he could before.

"Looks like I left just in time. I wander what Sidious will say when Dooku tell him that we have lost Byss," he thought out loud.

"Admiral, our entire fighter complement has been wiped out! Most of our reinforcements have retreated!"

"Cowards," he muttered.

"Sir, another dreadnought has just been wiped out. And another has just rammed itself into one of the Republic Assault Ships. The Assault Ship isn't destroyed, it has sped up to full throttle, and is going to ram into us!"

Everyone in the bridge started to panic. The helmsman did his best to try to evade, but it didn't help. The Assault Ship rammed into the control ship. As the Assault Ship incinerated, so did the droid control ship, there were no survivors. The rest of the Separatist fleet retreated with their tails between their legs, having lost Byss to the Republic.

"You just had to get us involved in this, didn't you?" Paul asked, annoyance strongly present in his voice.

"Sorry, I thought Reven might be here," Jade pouted out a reply.

"Well, was he?"

She sighed, "No."

"So you got us involved in the Clone Wars for nothing?"

"You know it, so why do you have to keep bringing it up?"

"I am just assessing the situation."

"Alright, so what is our situation?"

"Well, we are trapped on a mountain top with a droid army at the foot and working its way up. So it looks like we are going to die," he threw his helmet to the ground in anger.

It was true. They were trapped, they both new it, but neither of them wanted to admit it. They had been trapped on that same mountain peak for three days, all of their emergency rations were gone and the droid army was growing nearer with each passing moment. Paul had speculated that they would arrive early the next morning. She didn't want to die now, she still hadn't enacted her revenge on Reven for killing her sister, and there was another factor. A factor that affected both her and Paul, but a factor that she hadn't had the courage to tell Paul of, yet.

She stroked the hilt of her lightsaber, trying to formulate a plan to get out of this predicament. She put on her helmet and used its sensors to find the location of the droids. She found nothing so she removed the helmet.

"Paul, I have an idea."

"Another great plan, uh? Well what is it?"

"Why don't we bring the _Blade Runner_ around to extract us? We have a slave circuit hooked up and a system similar to a beckon call within our battle armors. We could even have the guns support us as we retreat."

Paul looked surprised. The plan would work all right, the question was, why hadn't they thought of that before?

"Let's do it."

Jade punched in a few commands into a data pad on her wrist. Two hours later the _Blade Runner_ bursted through the atmosphere, letting off a volley of laser shots suppress the droid army. Their ship hovered over them, the loading ramp descended and they were easily able to board and launch out into space.

"That was easy," Paul remarked as they cleared the atmosphere.

"Yes it was," Jade said, going into the back.

She returned a few minutes later, dressed more casually in loose fitting clothing. She sat down in her copilot seat and faced Paul.

"Paul, I have some news for you," she said seriously.

"What is it?" Paul asked only half-paying attention.

"Look at me, Paul, I have some really big news for you."

Paul looked over, concerned, very concerned.

"Paul… I'm… I'm… pregnant."

"What?" he asked in total disbelief.

"I'm pregnant, we're going to have a baby, you're going to be a father, Paul."

"How do you know this?" he asked, "This isn't just because of the Force, right?"

She didn't like what he said and how he said it. He once again doubted her abilities in the Force and he sounded like he didn't want this to be true. He sounded like he didn't want to be a father. But she didn't blame him, too much at least. When she first felt the new life within her through the Force, she didn't really want the responsibility either. But very soon she accepted it, and even started to feel excited.

"I first felt it through the Force, but I did take a legitimate test, and it is true."

"This is great!" he was excited now, and it wasn't fake either, he was truly happy and excited.

He embraced his wife, a giant grin on his face. Tears of joy started to form in her eyes as she hugged him back.


	7. Chapter VII

A/N: Jedi-Saiyajin-Twi'lek, I received the name Reven from my friend. I have never played KotOR, but he has. I heard him mention Revan, I thought it was something he came up with specifically for the game. When it came to writing this I remembered hearing him mention it and so I used it and just quickly sounded it out to get "Reven."

Jedi Master T. "Ace" Karrde reached out with the Force in search of his brother. He was at Byss, somehow he had known that, but he didn't think that both Dooku and Reven would be sent to protect Byss, he was wrong. Instead he chased after a disturbance in the Sluis sector, taking care of a few Bpfasshi Dark Jedi. One escaped, only one, but he couldn't find him. He quickly set the course and jumped into hyperspace.

When he exited the jump, the battle for Byss was over. He checked his scanners for any hostile activity. He found only one, and it was close to him as well.

_Ace, is that you? _Reven's voice ran through Ace's mind.

_Yes, Reven, it is me._

Ace, I want to talk.

Where?

Not here, it isn't safe. Meet me _at Daleskias II._

Roger.

They both exited hyperspace at the same time and followed the same landing approach. They found a clearing in the trees to safely land their spacecraft and exited to meet each other face to face.

"So what is it you want to talk about, brother?" Ace's voice held a certain uneasy feeling in it.

"I want to leave, Ace. I want to leave this life I have created for myself. I know I have made some mistakes, nothing can change that now, but I do want to repent," Reven had care in his eyes and his voice, but Ace threw that away.

"And I suppose you was me to help you."

"Please, I can trust, I could always trust you. Please, help me."

"NEVER!" he drew and activated his lightsaber.

Reven activated his as Ace lunged forward. Reven blocked all of his attacks and backed away into the forest. Reven was not willing to fight his brother. He had already taken the lives of two of his friends, and he was not willing to take another one. Reven spin kicked Ace back into a tree.

"Don't make me do this, Ace."

"Do what?"

"I don't want to kill you like I did Jaina and Palius."

"Good, that makes my job just that much easier. I can't let a disgrace such as you get away. You are a disgrace to the Jedi order, but more importantly you are a disgrace to the Karrde family!"

"Ace, don't make me fight you any more!"

"No one is making you fight anyone, brother."

"I don't want to fight you Ace, but as long as you continue to attack me, then I have no choice but to defend myself."

"Then this battle will be easy. I will not let down until one of us is dead."

"But why, brother, why?"

"A man who turns on his friends is no longer a man, but a mad dog, and must be dealt the same fate."

"So you will kill me, then?"

"Yes, I will kill you, brother."

"Then what are you waiting for? Kill me, send me to the hereafter, make me one with the Force and reunite me with Jaina," Reven raised his weapon in a defensive stance.

"As you wish," Ace said, an evil smile crossing his features.

Ace charged forward, attacking with all his might. Reven parried his advances, but never taking the obvious defensive gaps that could easily end the battle. Ace lunged forward again and again, faster and faster, stronger and stronger and each time with more and more malice.

"Brother, you're treading dangerously close to the Dark Side! Don't give in to your hate!" Reven pleaded.

"I will not be like you, I will not succumb to the Dark Side like you did! I will not betray all those I know and love!"

"If you don't let go of your anger then you will! So please, I'm begging you, stop this fighting and let go of your hatred!"

"I will give let go one you are dead!" he attacked once again with renewed ferocity.

"If you strike me down with all of your hatred then your journey to the Dark Side will be complete!"

"I will not listen to your lies!"

They continued fighting until they reached the foot of a mountain. Reven knocked his brother's lightsaber to the side and kicked him aside. He ran up the mountain, using the thick forest growth as cover.

"Don't think this is over yet, Reven. I will restore honor to the Karrde family by eliminating you." Ace said to himself.

Reven ran as fast as he could. He couldn't let this happen to this brother. He couldn't stand to see him turn to the Dark Side like he had. Yet, at the same time, he couldn't bring himself to kill him. He would not take the life of another loved one so he continued to run. Dodging the trees and jumping over the brush, he just kept going.

He reached a flat area of land less than halfway up the mountain. He leaned up against the side of the mountain and walked slowly to the edge. He looked over at the glorious scenery set out before him. He slumped down onto a rock and put his back against the mountainside. This had to be it; this had to be the final battleground. As much as he hated to admit it, he would have to fight his brother and one would have to walk away triumphant, while the other would not leave at all.

He stood and walked to the edge. He sighed as he looked over at the green forest in front of him. In this position he waited, waited for what could be his inevitable defeat or where he would have to bury his one and only brother. He watched the amber sun set behind the forestry foreground. Reven reached out with the Force, trying to locate his brother, and trying to figure out why he wasn't here yet.

Ace had purposefully withheld his pursuit to attack at night, thinking that would give him an advantage. The Force would help him see even in the darkness of night. Soon enough, Reven could feel his brother's presence approach him from behind.

"Hello, brother," Reven acknowledged his brothers presence quickly.

"Greetings."

"Look," he waved a hand over the forest set around them, "it reminds you of home, doesn't it?"

"Yes, it does," Ace replied moving next to his brother.

"Those were happier times. Long before the Clone Wars, before we were shipped off to Dantooine."

"Before you betrayed us _at _Dantooine," his brother cut in.

"Yes, it was," he replied.

"Why did you do it?"

"I was mislead. I had heard of corruption, and I believed in it strongly. I thought both the Jedi order and the Senate were out of order. So I was lured to the Sith. I thought that if I joined the Sith I could end the corruption. Little did I know that I _joined _the corruption, so rather than destroy the corruption, I had a part in it," Reven conveyed his depression and his hate for what he had done, but Ace wouldn't believe it.

"Heh, don't give me that! Don't think that your little sentiment has changed my mind! You're still a disgrace to the Karrde family! And I will make your failure complete."

"If you feel you must."

"I must!" Ace scowled backing away from his brother.

Reven ignited his saber, letting the crimson blade light up his face. Ace drew and activated his blue saber and moved into a battle stance.

"I am not going to hold back," Reven warned.

"Good."

Ace lunged forward, and Reven blocked. Reven parried his next few attacks, but then went on the offensive. He lunged forward faster and stronger with each thrust. And with each thrust he felt his brothers defenses weaken. Reven drew his second saber and continued his attack. Reven blocked his brother's attack between his crossed sabers. He forcefully uncrossed his sabers, slashing Ace's chest. Ace's body fell to the ground.

Reven walked a few paces past his brother's carcass and fell to his knees, throwing his sabers away. Tears dripped down his face and onto the rock below. He clenched his hands into fists in anger.

"Why? Why must I do this? Why must I take life after life? It's not fair! It's not fair!" he pounded his fists into the ground, "I swear that I will destroy the Sith for what they have made me do! And I will do it in a way that has never been done before. I will use my status as a Sith to destroy them from within!"

He heard a whimper from behind. He turned to see that his brother was still alive. He ran over to heal and patch up his wounds, hoping that he could save him. By sunrise Ace was asleep, but still in stable condition. Reven had built a fire and was eating some emergency rations found in his Fanblade starfighter.

Ace turned in his restless sleep, finally shooting his eyes wide open. He tried to stand but Reven extended his arm, a warning not to move. He leaned back against the rock wall behind him.

"Want some food?" Reven extended the box of rations to his brother.

"I don't want your sympathy!"

"Fine, then I'll leave," Reven stood.

"I'll let you live. You'll find that any electronic device you have is gone. I have destroyed all of them, you can stay on this planet, by yourself, and you will not contact anyone to rescue you. If I ever see you again I will extend no mercy, understood?"

Ace just nodded in shock. He didn't think his brother was capable of this. He had thought that his brother had totally succumbed to the Dark Side, that his hate and malice had control over every fiber of his being. He was wrong.

"Oh, and you can have this back too," Reven threw him his lightsaber, "Remember, I will kill you if you try to attack me again."

With that, Reven was history. He never saw his brother again, he never had the chance too.

Reven rummaged through his brother's ship. The _Trump Karrde,_ setting charges. He entered Ace's personal cabin. He sat down on his bed and picked up a hologram cube. Turning it on and stared at the picture it contained. It was a picture of both of them, taken when Ace finally became a Jedi Knight. He stuffed it in his belt and picked up the other picture cube. This one was of his son and his pet vornskr, Sturm. He finished setting the charges, left the picture cube where Ace could easily find it and boarded his Fanblade. He ignited the charges as he flew off.

He set his course and sighed as he entered hyperspace, heading to Sluktara IV to try his hand with Jade.


	8. Chapter VIII

Ashis Fanblade starfighter raced through hyperspace, Reven slept inside, using a Jedi hibernation technique. The trip seemed to take remarkably longer than it should have. Although he was technically asleep, his sense of time was not as idle as he was. Finally, at long last, he was pulled away from his sleep as his ship left hyperspace. He searched the scanners for any sign of the _Blade Runner._

"Reven Karrde to _Blade Runner, Blade Runner _do you copy?" Reven asked through the open comlink, "Jade do you copy?"

She did not answer. No one answered. He checked his screens. He was exactly where he was told she would be, Sluktara IV, yet he couldn't see anything on his sensors.

"Maybe they're planet-side," Reven spoke to himself.

He heard several beeps, the intervals slowly getting shorter and shorter. Looking down at his sensors he saw two yellow triangles drawing ever closer. Missiles! He took an evasive maneuver, rolling hard to the right, the missiles following. He increased speed to full throttle. He pulled the stick back into his stomach, performing a 180. He opened fire and destroyed both missiles.

"Jade, is that you?" Reven yelled into the comlink.

"Yes, Reven, it's me," she replied softly.

"Where are you?"

"You'd love to know that, wouldn't you? So you can kill me just like you killed Jaina?" malice was in he voice.

"Look I'm sorry for what I did to Jaina, I really am!"

"Sith liar!" she turned off her comlink.

"Jade! Jade! Listen to me!" he yelled.

His only reply was from the _Blade Runner's _quad guns. Reven did his best to evade the enemy fire. He managed to evade the attacks, escaping with only a few hits on his part.

"Jade, listen to me. I want to change! I no longer want the lifestyle I have chosen!" if Jade heard him, she chose to ignore him.

Reven moved his fighter into a ring of asteroids surrounding Sluktara IV. The _Blade Runner_ was too big to enter the asteroid belt; instead they continued their bombardment from outside the belt. Reven maneuvered around the asteroid belt, using his Jedi training and intuition to keep him from harm.

"Jade, please, I don't want to hurt you!" still there was no reply.

He sighed as he shut down his power systems and hid behind one of the asteroids, blending into the surroundings. Soon the laser salvos stopped. He reached out with the Force, trying to see what their next move would be.

"Reven, are you there? I want to talk," Jade said over the comlink.

__

I bet you do, Reven thought.

"Reven, please, I didn't want to harm you, it was Paul. He shut off the comlink and he fired at you, I had no part in it, I swear."

__

Jaina was a good liar too, you know, Reven thought.

__

Reven, I know you are there, I can sense you through the Force.

I was wondering how long it would take for you to detect me.

Why don't you come out? I have convinced Paul not to shoot you, let's talk.

What does Paul have against me?

Excuse me?

You said Paul was the one to shoot at me, yet I never knew Paul, I never did anything to harm him. If anyone you should be mad at me for killing your sister!

Oh, those, that is water under the bridge, now come out.

No. Don't act so surprised, I know the stubbornness of your family! You would never let me get away with what I have done.

You are right, and I will kill you once you once you come out of there!

We will see about that.

Reven let out a loud sigh. None of the three of them had gotten any sleep in the three days since he hid himself among the rocks. He had finished off his emergency rations at his last meal and his life support system was hit in the attack. He has no choice; he will have to cut his losses and run. Jade won't ever believe him, but that won't matter. With that daughter of hers coming in nine months, she won't be a bother. And hopefully he will have his mission completed by then.

"Well, I guess it is now or never," Reven said as he powered up his Fanblade.

As he drew his ship up, over the asteroids, the _Blade Runner _zoomed pass him, followed closely by a squadron Separatist starfighters. Stunned, he pulled out of the asteroid belt and noticed three dreadnoughts to his starboard. Reven cursed inwardly as he pounded the communication panel.

"Pull off your attack! That ship is mine! It is my prey!" Reven shouted in anger.

"Don't worry, Lord Reven," a human voice, the admiral, spoke, "you will get your chance at the quarry inside."

Reven clenched his hands into fists tightly as he watched the scene unfold. Jade and Paul were able to destroy only three of the fighters before the _Blade Runner _was disabled. It was dragged and then picked up by the center dreadnought.

"Requesting permission to land," he said through clenched teeth.

"Permission granted," came the reply.

Reven lined up his starfighter and approached in landing procedure. He crawled under the ship as he came upon the hole cut into the bottom that served as the docking bay doors. He pulled down the throttle as he came ever closer to the hangar. He pulled into the hangar, slowing to an almost complete stop. He extended his landing gears and lowered his ship to the deck.

Reven tapped his foot anxiously as the canopy slowly raised. He threw his helmet to the droid who came to help him out. He jumped down to the deck and proceeded towards the _Blade Runner, _pushing away anyone and anything that got in his way. They had already forced open the landing platform to the ship and were slowly sending two battle droids up into the freighter.

He pushed passed the guards on the foot of the _Blade Runner_ and made his way up the ramp. Using the Force, he pushed the droids out of the way.

"Sir, wait!" someone called from the group at the bottom.

"I'll handle this, just prepare a holding cage for the soon-to-be prisoners," he ordered as he entered the ship.

He reached out with the Force once again, this time to find where Jade and Paul were hiding. He took a right down the corridor. The ship had taken several hits, and it showed. Cables were dangling from the ceiling and were lying all over the floor. The lights in the corridors were flickering off and on and weren't too bright to begin with. He spotted holes in several places and spots were the lasers had gone through the hull and hit the inside. He finally came to a singed door; the control panel wasn't lit up, as it should have been, if it was in working order.

Reven unhooked his lightsaber from the belt of his flight suit and used it to cut the door open and enter the small, unlit room.

"I know you are there, Jade, you can not hide from me," Reven announced.

The reply came in the form of a blaster bolt, probably from Paul. He dodged the shot and brought the blaster rifle to him, discarding it on the ground. He saw the glow of Jade's lightsaber next, and decided to take matters into his own hands. He extended his arm, taking Paul into a choke hold with the Force and bringing him within a few feet of his face. He was wearing his battle armor, but it didn't stop him from being vulnerable to his Force attacks.

"Now, deactivate your lightsaber, or he will die," Reven commanded.

"I thought you said you wanted to switch sides!" Jade said from the darkness that encompassed her body, aside from what was lit from her lightsaber.

"I do, but I need to do it from the inside."

"Those who have tried have failed, you know that, right?"

"I'm afraid that I'm not up with history."

"Jedi Holocrons tell of a man who, thousands of years ago, thought much like you did. His name was Ulic Qel-Droma. He thought he could infiltrate the Sith, but he only succumbed to the Dark Side and became the apprentice of the Dark Lord of the Sith, Exar Kun."

"Then I will succeed where he has failed," Reven announced, "Now, drop your weapon!"

Jade did as she was told. Reven brought the Jedi weapon to his free hand.

"Now, release him!"

Reven threw Paul against the wall of their ship and dropped him to the ground, unconscious.

"Paul!" Jade yelled, jumping forward.

Reven grabbed her and did the same. He picked up both bodies and brought them down to the guards waiting for him. He handed them over to the man in charge and took refuge in the guest's quarters.

He awoke to find the ship in transit to the headquarters of the main fleet. There the prisoners would be handed over to Dooku and Sidious and he would be congratulated for capturing them by Sidious, and ignored by Dooku. He pulled himself out of bed and to the window. He looked out at the blue cylinder that encompassed them. It was, in fact, thousands of stars that was pulled towards them as they moved faster than the speed of light.

Reven walked over to the sink on the other side of the room. He splashed some cold water on his face, hoping beyond hope that the cold liquid would shed light on what he should do, that he could see the plan that the Force had in store for him, and so that he could correct the errors he had made. But it brought no salvation, no insight, nothing.

"Oh, Jaina, what should I do? How can I rectify these sins?" he fell to his knees, one hand still holding on to the sink, "In my search for help I have fed your sister to the wolves. I took your advice and in doing so I have sealed the fates of your sister and her husband."

He started to sob quietly. He dropped to his back and stared intently at the ceiling. Reven stood to his feet, dressed and made his way to the bridge.

"How long until we reach the rendevous point?" Reven asked coming up behind the captain.

"We'll be there within the hour."

"Right," he replied.

Reven was intent on seeing the massive fleet for himself. The Republic would surely have found out about such a massive fleet by now. They would soon be sending troops from Byss, as well as several other systems, to handle this force. A colossal battle was about to commence, and he wanted to see the fleet before they lost anything.

The blue cylinder slowly began to lose shape and return to dots in the blanket that was space. As they exited hyperspace their eyes immediately fell upon the fleet, or rather what was left of the fleet. There were only ten ships, all badly damaged. Reven was perplexed. This was supposed to be the main fleet, but instead it seemed to be a garbage pit for the ships from Byss that were too damaged to be repaired. He was perplexed. What had happened? He had to meet up with Sidious, but where is he? Had he left these broken ships behind to be canon fodder for the Clone army of the Republic? Was he supposed to stay and die along with the rest of them?

He refused to believe it. His master would never leave him to die. He searched the area for anything, anything at all. His gaze shifted to the bow as he felt the dreadnought change direction. As the ship steadied itself he saw and knew what was going on. The fleet left over from Byss was a decoy. The Republic would blindly attack them as the main fleet ambushed them from behind. They would have no where to run. Reven chuckled to himself at that thought, then quickly stopped, realizing what he was doing.

They soon reached the main fleet, with the giant _Guran Keina, _flagship of the fleet, at the front. He quickly exited the bridge and made his way to the docking bay. He saw the prisoners, Paul and Jade, being brought in by two battle droids. He made sure to board the same shuttle as they did. They sat in quiet as they were transported to the _Guran Keina._ They would soon be set before his master, Darth Sidious, and Jade would probably be forced to join their side. Knowing the stubbornness of her family, though, she probably will not change and he will be forced to kill her.

****


	9. Chapter IX

Jade paced back and forth uneasily. Paul was lying on the bed, hands behind his head and his left leg bent upward. The sound of her boots echoed through the small cell as she paced back and forth. Paul flinched with each one of her steps. Despite that, she kept pacing, not noticing that she was interrupting his sleep. She stopped pacing in front of one of the walls and placed her left hand on it, leaning against it. Abruptly she punched the wall as hard as she could with her right hand.

"Hey!" Paul yelled, eyes still shut, "Could you keep it down over there? Some of us are trying to sleep!"

"Well, it wasn't my idea to wait for Reven to come out of the asteroid field! I wanted to jump out of there at first site!" she yelled back.

Paul's eyes shot open; "Well I'm sorry that I'm the only one that wants to avenge Jaina!"

"Jaina doesn't want to get avenged!"

"How do you know that?"

"She told me herself!"

"Oh going back to that!" Paul shut his eyes and turned away from Jade.

"Don't turn your back to me!" Jade snapped.

"I'll do what I want!"

"Well so will I!"

Jade continued her pacing, this time faster, and louder, than before.

"Will you just GET SOME SLEEP?"

"FINE!"

Jade punched the control console. A thick metal slab emerged from the wall. At first she just sat down on the bed, head in her hands. She stared at Paul, feeling remorse for fighting with him, but finding no way to show it. She didn't want to be on such hard grounds with him here. Here where any moment could be their last, any meal their last, any breath their last. She sighed and lied down, back facing Paul to hide her tears. She fell quickly into dreamless sleep.

She awoke a few hours later. She turned and saw Paul staring at her.

"Oh, you're up," he said quietly, running his hand through his red hair.

"Yes, yes I am," she replied, sitting up.

"Look, I'm sorry for what I did, and said. I should have trusted you and your gut feeling about Jaina."

"It's not a gut feeling," she said, annoyed.

"Right, sorry about that too."

He moved over to her bed and put his arm around her.

"Look, no matter what happens to us here, I will never let any harm come to you while I'm still here."

"No, no! Don't talk like that! We will get out of here together, or we won't get out of here at all!"

"But I still won't let any harm come to you," he assured her.

She looked at him, tears starting to form in her eyes.

"You and our child will escape from here alive, I assure you," there was a look of determination in his eyes.

"Oh Paul," she buried her head into his shoulder, letting loose her tears.

He wrapped both his arms around her.

Reven stood anxiously as the elevator slowly took him up to his master in his special throne room inside the _Guran Keina_. The elevator crawled to a stop and the doors opened. The thrown room was dark, yet light enough to see all. Straight ahead of him was a set of stairs leading up to the thrown. On the thrown sat his master, turned so that he could look out upon the main fleet.

Reven slowly walked out of the elevator and up the long flight of stairs. He came up to his master and knelt before him on one knee.

"Greetings, Reven," Sidious said, not bothering to turn around.

"Greetings, Master," he replied, lowering his head as Sidious turned to face him.

"Arise, my friend."

Reven reluctantly did as he was told.

"I was told it was you who brought in that Jedi and her husband," he said.

"That is correct. Well, actually, I only lead the Dreadnoughts to the area. They took care of the rest."

"I understand. I believe that you have the Jedi's weapon, may I see it?"

"Yes, Master," Reven handed over Jade's weapon, "What are we going to do with them?"

"The man is not needed, he will be killed without question. The woman will be brought before me and, if I choose so, she will become one of us."

Reven cringe at the thought of someone killing Paul, Jade would not let that happen and join their ranks. He knows that, but Sidious never would, until it is too late. _Maybe she will do my dirty work for me. _Reven thought.

"I would like you to finish off the man, if you would."

Reven's eyes shot open in shock.

"Is there something wrong with that?" Sidious asked suspiciously.

Reven's eyes narrowed, his usual look returning to him, "No, sir, it would be a pleasure."

"Good," Dooku said, coming up behind him.

"Dooku?"

"Yes?" Dooku walked over and stood by Sidious.

"I didn't expect you to be here."

"Why wouldn't I be here? My master is here, and this will be the site of the next big battle of the Clone Wars. So of course I would be here."

"Right," Reven bowed, "I beg your forgiveness."

"Forget about, Reven, it isn't a problem."

"Master, when will the execution take place?" Reven asked, turning from Dooku to Sidious. 

"You will execute him within the hour."

"Yes, my Master," Reven bowed again.

"Oh and I want you to show me what you have learned. I don't want you to use your lightsaber at all," Sidious commanded.

"Sir, do you want him to die quickly, or long and painful?"

"It is not my decision to be made."

"Yes, my Master."

"To the prisoners, then?" Dooku asked, passing Reven and walking down the staircase.

All three of them were escorted to the cellblocks by two super battle droids. Several cells were passed before they came to the right one. The droids opened the door using the correct code. The droids parted to either side of the door, letting the Sith enter alone.

"Reven?" Paul stood as he saw him enter.

Reven had a look of regret and sadness in his face. Paul then noted the other two men come in shortly after he did. Paul had a questioning look on his face and looked at Reven as he mouthed the words 'I'm sorry.' Paul, realizing what was about to happen sprung forward. Reven extended both of his hands and lightning shot out of his fingertips.

"Don't make this any harder on yourself, Paul," Reven said.

"Paul!" Jade shouted and ran towards Paul, who was now slumped over his bed.

Dooku raised his hand and flung Jade across the room and into a wall.

"Dooku! Be careful! She is pregnant, the child can be of great use to us!" Reven scolded.

"Just concentrate at your job at hand," Dooku replied.

Reven sighed inwardly and faced Paul, who had already recovered and was standing. He raised his hands again, fingers stretched out. He unleashed another salvo of lightning from his fingertips that connected with Paul. The attack forced him to his hands and knees. Reven unleashed a third salvo and Paul started to writhe from the pain.

Paul lay smoking on the floor of his cell, pain running through his body from Reven's attacks. Paul writhed in pain at Reven's fourth salvo, crying out in pain. The lightning raced across his entire body, crawling into any cavity that wasn't covered by his jumpsuit. Lightning raced into his mouth and hit his internal organs. He rolled on the floor from the pain, he strained himself to open his eyes and see if his precious Jade was ok. He closed his eyes quickly after seeing her alive and seemingly unharmed.

Reven stopped his salvo and left Paul on the floor, huddled into a ball and smoking from several areas because of the attacks. Paul tried his best to lift himself off the ground, but his arms gave way before he got halfway off the ground. Trying once again to open his eyes to look at his wife one last time only to find his eyesight dark. The light of day would no longer piece his green eyes.

_Reven, what are you doing? _Jade asked him through the Force.

_I need to do this, Jade. I need to establish my place as one of them. _Reven replied.

Reven bombarded Paul for a fifth, and final, time. Paul's screams echoed through the entire cellblock. Reven couldn't stand the sight of Paul in so much pain but he had no other choice. He had to keep up the idea that he is on their side and so he couldn't look away or stop.

_Reven, why are you doing this? _The apparition of Master Palius appeared before him.

_Yes, Reven, why? Why are you causing so much pain to my sister! _Jaina appeared next to Palius.

_I have to do this, I will destroy the Sith from the inside, and so I must do this! I must keep their trust so I can kill them both later!_

Reven, if you do this I am afraid that you may never return from the Dark Side! Palius warned him.

_You don't understand! You have never understood! This is something I must do!_

The image of Palius sunk and shook his head as he disappeared from his sight. Jaina looked on at him in horror. She tried to form words but found none to correctly describe how she felt. Paul's scream started to increase in intensity and slowly calmed to a complete stop, as did his writhing. Paul Serkanin was dead.

"NO!" Jade screamed, struggling to try to break through the Force hold Dooku had placed on her.

"Good, good," Sidious passed Reven and made his way to Jade, "you hate him for what he just did, don't you? Good, use your hate; let it swell within you. Use your hate, become one of us, and I assure you, you will get a chance to kill the one who caused you so much harm."

Reven narrowed his eyes at Sidious. He ignored the glare and left the cell, followed closely by Dooku. Jade stared at Reven, all her hate and malice was showing on her face. Reven shoed his sorrow, remorse and regret, but it didn't pierce Jade at all. Her heart will now always hold what he did in her heart, only now she has to avenge both Paul and Jaina. And the only way he could pay was with his life.

_Reven is there something wrong? _Sidious asked.

_No, I'm coming. _Reven replied turning to leave Jade alone.


	10. Chapter X

It had been several days since he had killed, no, murdered Paul Serkanin and taken away everything from Jade. Reven looked out upon the grand battle that is unfolding in front of him. He was on the bridge of the _Guran Keina, _arms folded behind him and under his cape. He shook his head and turned around.

The battle was already over, even though it had just begun. He had seen this battle in his dreams, and in his dreams he had seen their glorious victory over the Republic, in this battle at least. Even so, everyone knew they would win, they had the Clone army outnumbered three to one. And, with the _Guran Keina _on their side, it was no question, even to the Republic, that they would lose this battle.

Yet the fact that his dream had come about so precise at this moment also struck great fear in him. If this dream came true, then what was stopping his other dreams from coming true? The ones with him a Dooku, and their fight that inevitably leads to his death. Also, the one where he had to fight Jade to the death? What was stopping those from coming true? Maybe, he himself was the only thing keeping those dreams from coming true.

Maybe, if he had the will, he could escape the battle alive.

"Sir, the battle is over," a lieutenant came up behind him.

"I know," Reven replied coldly.

"We won, sir," he said again, as if Reven didn't know.

"I know that, lieutenant!" Reven snapped back angrily.

"Sorry, sir."

"Did you really think that I wouldn't know that we would win this battle? Do you think that I am that stupid?"

"No, sir," he replied nervously, sweat forming on his face.

"Get away from me! I never want to see you again!"

"But, sir!"

Reven extended his arm. He unleashed a lightning attack and swung him into the wall to his left.

"Be happy that I spared your life. Try it again and I will have to kill you."

"Yes, sir," he managed to groan out.

He looked out at the rubble remaining from the battle. They managed to defeat them with only five squadrons and two dreadnoughts lost. He took off his cape and threw it on a chair. His gloves were placed on the desk; he slipped off his shirt and threw it on the ground. Sitting on his cot, he removed his boots. He lay down on his back, pulling the sheets around him tightly. Slowly he drifted into sleep, and the horrible nightmares that await him.

"One more push, and there you go!" the nurse wrapped the baby in a clothe after washing it off, "You have a beautiful baby girl!"

Jade couldn't hold back her tears of joy as she stared at the little human being the nurse was holding. She couldn't find any words to articulate at this moment.

"When am I going to get to hold my baby?" she managed out between sobs.

"Well…" the nurse started.

"Excuse me, but we need that baby," a lieutenant said.

The nurse handed over the baby quickly.

"What? What are you doing with my baby?" Jade screamed out as he left the infirmary.

"Just to run a few basic tests, ma'am," he replied as the door shut behind him.

The door opened a few seconds later and Reven entered, holding a knapsack.

"Where was she taken to?" he demanded of the nurse.

"Who?"

"The baby!" he yelled in utter frustration.

"To run some tests on it, see if she has the capability to be a Hand," someone said at the door.

"A Hand?" he asked, still a little angry.

"Someone that Sidious can use for his own gain."

"Trained in the Force, I presume?" he asked.

"Correct," he said with a smirk, leaving the room.

Reven clenched his hands into tight fists.

"Well, I guess this is as good as time as ever. Sidious wants to see you, wear this," he slung the knapsack around onto a table next to her bed, "See you in the thrown room in an hour. Get some rest," he turned for the door, "I'm sure you need it."

"Sir, the female Jedi has arrived," a battle droid said at the foot of the stairs.

"Good, send her in," Sidious replied.

"Roger roger!"

Two battle droids brought in Jade, wearing a red tunic with black pants, handcuffed.

"You no longer need those," he waved his hand and the cuffs fell off her wrists, she rubbed them slightly, "Guards, leave us."

The four droids left the three of them alone.

Her eyes fell upon her lightsaber on the arm of Sidious' thrown.

"I wouldn't try anything if I were you!" Reven said, seeing her true intentions and, in a way, warning her not to go for it.

"Your hate is strong, Jade. I can feel it, you want my young apprentice dead, don't you?" Sidious asked.

"Yes," she said through gritted teeth, balling her hands into fists.

"So then, why don't you go for it?" he patted the hilt on his thrown, "You want it, don't you?"

Her fists shook involuntarily from the tight fists, the nails digging into her skin, causing an open wound.

"Come on, take your weapon. Kill Reven, and take his place as my apprentice."

"Never! I will never listen to you! I will never betray my friends and family by doing what Reven did!" she yelled out, tears forming in her eyes.

"What friends? What family do you have left? Reven killed your only sister, and your husband, any friends you might have made growing up will not approach you for you abandoned them when you left the Jedi order. And now, because of him, your daughter is going to grow up not knowing who her mother was," Reven stared at Sidious, an evil glare in his eyes, he was trying to make Jade attack him.

Jade's eyes opened wide as she heard the words flood into her mind, for it was all true. Jaina, her only sister, was lost because of Reven, and nothing can change that now. No matter how much he was sorry, no matter what he tried to do to change it, he could never bring her back from the dead. And nothing he, or Jaina, said, he would never forgive him now. Paul was also taken from her because of him, and so was her baby girl. Well she just couldn't let him get away with it.

With a battle cry that pierced even the Dark Lord, Sidious, she brought her saber to her hand and activated it. She lunged towards her enemy and struck with all her force and power. Reven had drawn and blocked her attack. She continued to attack Reven with all her emotion and malice. Reven swung around behind her, Jade followed and countered his thrust.

Reven back flipped to the bottom of the stairs. Jade followed quickly, tears flying off her face and onto the stairs below. She brought her blade down on Reven's, he lunged forward and she easily parried his lunges. She slashed; he ducked under it, blocking her blows as he rose to his feet. He knocked the saber away, launching her back with a Force push.

She rose to her feet with renewed ferocity and anger. She charged forward, bringing any power she had left into this strike, if it didn't connect, then the battle was over. She drew nearer and nearer; Reven raised his saber and sprung. He blocked her attack, hooking it and sending it into the air. She flew forward; he swung around, cutting her saber in two as he did so. As her back crossed his eyesight he brought his blade down, slicing deep into her back.

He panted heavily as her body fell to the ground.

"Good job, Reven. Droids, take her body away," Sidious ordered.

"No, if you don't mind, I would like to take care of this refuse myself."

"Go ahead," he waved his hand and turned around to stare out the window.

He picked up her body and dragged it out.

Jade was hanging over Reven's back, arm slung around his shoulder as he dragged her away. He opened the door and slid her onto the seat inside. She groaned slightly. Slowly her eyes opened, blinking constantly she tried to figure out where she was. _Could this be… the afterlife? _she thought to herself.

_I'm afraid not, Jade._

"Reven?" she said out loud.

"Shh," he held a finger to his lips.

"What are you doing?" she whispered.

"I am letting you go," he replied.

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to kill you, I still plan to defeat the Sith from within."

"Where are you going to take me?"

"I will eject you onto one of the planets in this system. The only natives are primitive, but they should be able to nurse you back to full health, you only have a slight wound on your back."

"And what about my daughter?"

"I will take care of her. I can't grab her now for Sidious is watching her. I am surprised that he couldn't tell I didn't kill you. Well, as soon as my plan is complete I will grab your kid and take her to you."

"How can I be sure you won't send me into some sun or dump me on a deserted planet?"

Reven sighed, and grabbed something from behind his back.

"Here, this is Jaina's lightsaber, I have kept it all this time. I couldn't bare to let it get destroyed, so here, it is yours," he handed the saber to her.

"Alright, just do me a favor, call my daughter…"

He placed a finger on her lips, "I know."

She understood and slumped back in the ejection pod seat as he closed the door and sent her out into space.

He opened the door to where the nurse was caring for Jade's child.

"Leave me!"

All the nurses turned to look at him.

"NOW!" he screamed.

Afraid, they all left him alone with the child.

"Now," Reven slowly approached the newborn baby.

He reached down and cradled the child in his arms. Reven looked into the child as she opened her eyes.

"In your eyes I see the determination I saw in your mothers eyes," the baby closed her eyes and seemed to slip into sleep, "You, young one, shall carry the name of your mother, as well as the name she chose for you. Now, awake: Mara Jade!"


	11. Chapter XI: The Final Confrontation

Two weeks, two weeks has past since his fight with Jade. In those two weeks he had not had the chance to make his final move against Sidious and Dooku. Soon, though, soon he would finish them off. The only question was how? How and where should he do it? Sidious was away on duties for the Senate. Soon, though, soon he would be back and that would be when he would make his move.

He looked away from the window of his new room aboard the _Guran Keina; _an action that he had grew accustomed to over the weeks. He quickly dressedand exited his room.

He took the long way to the bridge, just to take up more time. Following the twists and turns he eventually came upon the door leading to the bridge.

"Greetings, captain," Reven said upon entering.

"Greetings, Reven," he replied, not looking up from his data pad.

As Reven approached the captain he looked around and noticed several people staring at him, scared. One of them that he spotted seemed to be deliberately avoiding Reven's gaze. Hiding behind a data pad or just plain facing away from him. This man, he realized, must have been the same lieutenant that he had told he would kill if he ever saw him again. The fact that he had remembered what he had told him made Reven chuckle inwardly.

"Anything new on the front?" Reven asked as he came to the captain.

"We have lost two more systems to the Republic," he replied coldly, putting the data pad away, almost as if he didn't want Reven to see it.

"When will my master be returning?" Reven asked.

"Within the hour, and he wants to meet you in his thrown room an hour after he arrives, no sooner."

"Alright," Reven drifted off into deep thought, but quickly snapped back, "Is there anything else?"

"No, Reven, nothing more," the captain replied even colder than usual.

Reven walked out of the bridge, perplexed. He hadn't expected Sidious to pick up on his attempts, yet, maybe he hasn't. The captain seemed colder and more distant today than usual. And what was on that data pad he had? Why had he hid it? It was obvious that he did it on purpose, and he saw that he brought it back out after he turned and left. That data pad could have held information that told the captain of his treachery. That would explain why he seemed so much colder than he did before.

These questions plagued his mind. He searched for answers as he walked to see Mara Jade. He was unfocused, tuned out to the rest of the world, so he never saw it coming. His head crashed against something and he fell to the ground. Opening his eyes he looked at what had ran into him, or rather, what he had ran into. He had walked too far and he had missed his turn. Because of his mistake he had hit a wall.

He rubbed the sore part of his head as he stood and turned around. He walked a little bit further, making sure not to miss the turn this time. He hadn't gone far before he slowed to a stop. More thoughts passed through his mind. Thoughts of how to handle what he must do and an idea popped into his mind.

He turned around and headed back to the wall he had crashed into. He only took a quick glance at it, but that, and some time to think, was all that he needed. He had gone farther than he had expected. In fact, on his way back he passed the turn he needed to make to go visit Mara as he had planned.

"Exactly as I though," Reven muttered.

About six feet off the ground where two gold plates, one on top of the other with black letters etched into them. They both read 'Gunnery' with arrows pointing in both directions. He took the left, for that is where he would have to execute his plot. There were only a few people occupying the room, but that wouldn't matter for his plot. He could easily make them leave, or kill them if need be. He walked directly behind one of the turrets, avoiding the awkward stares from the operators.

__

This would be perfect. Reven thought, looking out the view-port.

He thought about it some more. There would be advantages. They would be killed in just a few hits. Yet the captain would send droids after the first shot, although he could easily blast through them. The real question is whether or not he would be able to escape after such a ploy. If he could wipe them out in the thrown room, he could probably be out of here, with Mara, before they noticed, or, at least a little after.

Although if he could kill them before they land, it would be a plus. The less work, the better. Although a great plan, he didn't think it would work. Also he wanted to _see_ them die. He wanted to look into their eyes as they drew they final breath, and he wanted to draw out Dooku's death as long as he possibly could.

He sighed and shook his head almost unnoticeably.

"Is there something wrong, sir?" one of the operators asked.

"No," Reven replied, leaving before they could say anything in response.

The gunnery incident was behind him now, now that he was holding Mara in his arms once again. She was asleep; she looked so cute while she was sleeping. He couldn't believe the beauty in a child, something so small, yet so beautiful. Seeing this, being here, doing what he was doing made him feel really bad for what he did, now. But if he didn't, Jade may never have gotten a chance to see and hold Mara.

"Don't worry, young one. You'll see your mother soon enough," he assured her as she started to wake up.

"Sorry, Reven, but you need to leave now," one of the nurses said, entering once again.

Reven gave her a very evil look. He had only had just over ten minutes alone with her. But he reluctantly put Mara down and left the room, but not without sending one more evil look the nurse's way.

He once again found himself staring out the window of his bedroom. It seemed that is what he always did when he wasn't in the bridge, with Mara or with his Mentor, nay, his enemy. Soon he spotted something moving off the forward bow of the ship.

Glancing over he noticed that it was a landing ship.

"So, he has finally come," Reven muttered, "I could still make it to the gunnery in time. No, no, that would be too easy, I established that already."

He shook his head and once again stared out blankly into space. Yet, he couldn't help but glance back and stare at the ship until it finally landed.

"One hour. It will all be over in just one hour. But what will be the outcome of this battle? I have seen one ending through my dreams, the one where I was killed. I will have to work against that outcome. I will not let myself be defeated no matter what!"

The elevator ride seemed much longer than usual. Yet that meant that it gave him plenty of time to continue his thoughts. The elevator dinged once it came to the top and the door slid opened. He suddenly found himself regretting that he never said goodbye to Mara.

"Welcome, Reven," Sidious said, knocking Reven back to reality and exiting the lift.

Reven walked forward, up the stares and knelt before Sidious.

"Please, arise," Sidious raised his hand.

"I'd rather kneel," Reven replied, reaching for his saber hilt.

"Why?" Sidious asked, suspecting something.

"That is my question. Why didn't you see this coming?" Reven activated and threw his lightsaber.

It spun around and cut through Sidious and his thrown. He released his hold on the Force, the saber deactivated and the hilt landed on the floor. He rose to his feet.

"I did see it coming, Reven," Sidious said, Reven stiffened.

"You didn't think you could actually get away with that, did you?" Dooku said.

Reven turned to his left; Dooku and Sidious had emerged from a hidden doorway. Reven cursed as he drew his second saber. Dooku drew his and came face to face with Reven. They both activated their weapons at the same moment, letting the tips make contact.

Dooku made the first move, swinging his saber around to Reven's left. Reven easily countered Dooku's move, making one himself. Dooku parried his attack easily. They went into a standstill. Neither of them moved. Both were making eye contact, trying to read the others next move. Reven made the next move, striking for his neck, but hitting only his blade. Immediately he went for one leg, then the other, both useless attempts. They moved back to a standstill.

This time it was Dooku's turn to attack. He lunged forward, going for his waist, quickly recovering from the block he went for his head. Reven blocked then pushed back Dooku's attack. They were back at a standstill now, neither willing to make a move.

"Are you afraid, Reven?"

"Only as much as you are," he lied.

In reality Reven was very afraid. More afraid than he had ever been in his life. He was doing his best to make sure that it didn't show, but it did. He was sweating profusely and his voice was shaky, but as long as he refused it he felt he had a better chance.

"Well then you are better than I was at that age. When I was your age I would have been scared out of my mind going up against a Sith Lord such as myself."

"Well then, I am better than you!" he lunged forward with his full force.

His attacks were easily blocked and Reven was kicked back.

"No, you are not better than I am," Dooku replied with an evil grin that chilled the bones.

Reven backed away slowly, he hit something and tripped backwards onto his back. Dooku took this opportunity, he jumped into the air, with his saber faced down ready to stab and kill Reven. He did the only thing he could; he rolled over and down the stairs all the way to the bottom. He looked up to see Dooku following him. He rolled over, avoiding Dooku's attack and standing.

"Congratulations, I didn't expect for you to last this long. Especially after you went and tripped like that."

"Well lucky me," he replied as he lunged forward.

He brought his saber around for his neck. He saw it coming closer and closer to his target. Surely this will connect and end it all. His hopes grew as his saber grew closer and closer to its target. But, as his hopes were at the highest, he was shot down. Dooku moved, slashing at his leg before he could react. Reven felt his body fall as he became unbalanced. He landed on his knees as Dooku cut his hilt in half, making any retaliation impossible.

"Well, you are finished. Didn't make it as far as you had hoped, have you?" Dooku asked.

"Have you?" Reven replied.

Dooku gave him a look of confusion but he continued to circle around his prey. As he came to his back, Reven used his trump card. A saber cut through his cape and hit Dooku at the side of his stomach. The wound was only about half an inch deep, it would easily heal in no time and he would be back to normal. He extended his and brought Reven in a choke hold and lifted him off the ground.

He quickly grabbed the lightsaber Reven had used to injure him before he could use it again. Dooku stared at it as he let Reven drop to his knees. That is when Reven came to the realization that his leg truly had been cut off. Dooku continued to stare at the lightsaber, once he activated a look of realization appeared on his face.

"So you kept it all this time. The orange lightsaber that you made back on Dantooine."

"Yep," Reven replied.

"So I bet you also kept the saber of the friend you killed too, didn't you?" Reven nodded, "Where is it?"

"I gave it to Jade."

Dooku looked surprised, and a little angry, "You what?"

"I gave it Jade as I sent her away."

"So that is why you wanted to take care of the body, so that we didn't know that she was still alive."

"Yeah, you didn't know that?" he turned his gaze to Sidious, "I hope you knew at least."

"Of course I did, Reven. Who do you think let you send her off in the first place. I also know that you did not kill your brother either."

"That I didn't," Reven replied seeming proud.

"Well then I shall correct the mistakes brought on by your weakness!"

Reven cursed inwardly, he had hoped that they would leave Jade alone, they had done enough to her already. The same thing with his brother, but now it seems as though they will both be killed.

"Now you die!" with one swift move it was all over.

Jade emerged from the hut, a wooden cup in her hand. She hadn't completely healed but she could move around slightly. She leaned up against the railing of the primitive village on the mountainside. Slowly she drank the vile concoction that had been given to her to help he wounds heal.

"Will I ever see her again?" she asked herself quietly.

Jade turned her head and looked over at the village. Her eyes caught two strange figures, glowing blue. They turned around, spotting Jade easily. They were far away but they could still see her, they raised their hands above their heads and waved at her. She tilted her head and they disappeared.

Ace sat at the rubble that was one the _Trump Karrde. _The picture of his son was tucked away under his tunic and he noticed the landing craft in the distance. He glanced over to his left, seeing if anything was coming, he returned his gaze to the craft and then quickly jerked it back to the side. Standing there, side by side, hand in hand, was Reven and Jaina.

He smiled, _so they finally found peace, _he thought as the craft landed. He walked up to the clone trooper shuttle. He took the hand of a clone to help him up and into the hatch. Before they shut the hatch he spared one last glance at his brother.

"Something wrong, sir?" the trooper asked.

"No," he shook his head as they closed the hatch.****


End file.
